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A Family Endeavour
Yu Gloompond stood at the gates of the Grand Citadel. In ordinary cases you would require a royal summon for even the most admirable citizens to gain the right to pass the gates. But Yu was aware of the position she was in, in which her daughter as in. Akeem had been all that had been on Guan-yin's lips ever since they met, which brought her great joy, considering what it might mean for the future. Yu was of the most favored of the Houses of Vroldafn, and by being such, she stood in possession of a multitude of privileges. Like taking foreigners under her wing to enter the keep. Her pink, curled, shoulder hair billowed in the soft breeze, her lush lips painted a softer pink than her curls, and with soft eyes, she scoured the near area for Akeem to show up. Yu desired her daughter's happiness above all, and as such, she feared that the woman might be taking a bit more time than she ought to with some of the steps. Well, now she felt was the time to remedy this. Guan-yin was currently occupied with her military training with the aspirants for her host, as she made it a habit to supervise every single one of them on the field and barracks. There were times when Yu found herself worried for her daughter's safety, but she knew better than most of what she could do. And soon, so would Akeem. Akeem approached the citadel, mind racing with what the intentions of Guan-yin's mother could possibly be in asking to meet with him today. Though he had briefly met her before he didn't know nearly enough about the woman to figure out what it could be she had in store for him. He wondered if she would be the quiet somewhat mysterious type her Guan himself was or if she would tease and harass him like Delores. Not even sure which he would prefer given Mr.Gloompond had been far kinder but Delores had at least been very straight forward. Either way, he hoped Guan-yin would be there to help him alleviate some of the awkward tension he was sure to feel. His thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of eyes on him, something that while now had become rare was still something that happened often enough for him to notice. He had become a familiar face in this city for better or worse but even so he knew he was still an outsider to these people and in most ways wasn't welcome. So as Guan had warned him during their first encounter, he remained cautious and vigilant despite his growing fondness for the country and its occupants. He reached the gates to the Citadel soon enough, spotting the hard to miss Mrs. Gloompond awaiting his arrival and picked up his pace as to not keep her waiting. He greeted her with a slight bow. "I'm sorry if I'd kept you waiting, thanks for meeting with me today." He said in a friendly but respectful tone. Lifting his head, he looked at the taller woman with unconcealable curiosity in his eyes, "I admit your invitation came as a bit of a surprise. I also expected Guan-yin to be here as well." "Not that you aren't company enough or anything." He added, feeling stupid for doing so. Yu giggled softly. "No need to be so cautious with me, Mr Baqir. I understand that I am not as pleasing to be greeted by without your girlfriend in tow." She teased him. "I hope to remedy that within short, however." She spoke as she with a wave of her hand signaled for the guardsmen to open the gateway. She motioned for Akeem to follow her as they made their way towards the barracks, little to his knowledge. They ventured through the winding halls and corridors, passing paintings of councils of the past, and heroes throughout the ages. All the while, Yu attempted to strike up a smaller conversation before they arrived. "I think Guan-yin, will be most pleased to see you again, Akeem. Sometimes it feels like her every breath carries your name with it. Guang and I barely get a word in on other matters anymore." she spoke with a smile which reflected in her eyes. "Tell me, Akeem, and feel no shame in answering in earnest, are your feelings similarly reflected?" Yu spoke, her smile never fading, for she had a feeling that she already knew. Akeem followed her through many winding and confusing halls as if he were being led into a deep maze. His eyes scanned the paintings as he passed them, not having the slightest idea who they were but given their presence in such an important looking place he had little doubt they too were or at least had been equally important. He felt a bit of pride and equal amounts of embarrassment as Yu spoke of how tirelessly Guan spoke of him even if he hadn't the slightest idea what she could be talking about so breathlessly. At Yu's question, Akeem straightened up, not even noticing he had been slouching as if trying to make himself even smaller in the already occupied hall of giants. "I do, I care about her a lot." He said without hesitation, "I just worry...she's so strong and respectable, and every one of you I've spoken to including Guan herself has talked about the hardships our relationship will have to endure. I admit it scares me a bit. I just worry I may not be good enough..." He spoke the truth to the bitter end, already beginning to wonder if he should have just said yes and been through with it. Yu seemed more than content with the answer to the question. "'Not good enough', 'Not deserving', all those things are unimportant before how we feel towards those we love. I understand the worry and perhaps even fear for the future, but it should not cloud your feelings. Wanna know something interesting?" She asked loudly, yet she did not even wait for the answer before she continued. "Guang, my love and husband, used to be my master. And not as in teacher, as you might imagine." She spoke with a chuckle, letting that information sink in. "When we discovered our feelings for eachother, we already knew that we would have a difficult time ahead of us. He desired to wed a human, but not any human, a slave of all things." Akeem let her words sink in, happy that she supported both Guan and his relationship and while her words did indeed give him a bit more confidence in his own self worth they also dredged up the cruel reality of the world they lived in. One where one's freedom was as frail and fleeting as life itself and could be ended in an instant just the same. He couldn't help but shudder at the thought but pushed it aside, knowing he didn't have the time or room in his own mind at the moment to worry about more than whatever he and Guan would have to face next. "Thank you, your words help put my heart at ease. I promised Guan that I would give it my all, and even though I still don't know what exactly I'm up against your story makes me feel like the odds don't matter as much as people make them out to." He said with a chuckle. "Good lad. Don't let these so called odds stand in the way of you two. She is happy to have you, and if you feel the same, that is all that should matter." She said when she began to hear the subtle sounds of distant grunts and cries of frustration. A thought then occured to Mrs. Gloompond, a thought of how previous relations had come to a halt after similar occurances. Least she could do was try to prepare him at least a bit for what was about to be seen. "I don't mean to belittle or anything now Akeem, and forgive me if I do come across as such, but do you feel secure in your masculinity?" She asked him as they steadily approached, the sounds growing louder and louder by every step.